Block holder



Jan. 28, 1969 s. K. slEGEL 3,424,419

- BLOCK HOLDER Filed Aug. 5, 1967 1 ENTOR. SHELDON S/EGEL H TTORAJEX United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved block holder for simulated or artificial heads, called blocks, which are used as a mount for wigs being styled. The holder includes a bracket member adapted to be secured to the edge of a table. The bracket member is jacketed with a protective plastic coating and is provided with a threaded upstanding stud having a terminal socket. The simulated head or block is supported on a standard receivable in a bore in the head and the standard is provided with a balled end to nest in the socket. The standard is held is adjustable relation to the bracket by means of an adapter and is adjustable by adjustment of the ball in the socket into various attitudes to facilitate the styling.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved block holder of the type described hereinafter which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and which is adapted to be securely fastened to a table surface without marring the same and which is provided with structure to accommodate adjustment of the head being supported and which may be locked in any selected position for styling of a wig secured on the head.

It is another object of this invention to provide a block holder which includes a clamping device for connecting to a table which clamping device is protectively jacketed with an exterior coating of plastic material and which is also provided with an adjustable standard connected to the bracket by a ball and socket means with the ball being captivated in the socket by means of an adapter.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved block holder of the type described which includes a friction pad disposed in the socket so that when the ball is tightly held in the socket by the adapter, the standard is firmly held in a predetermined attitude with respect to the bracket.

Other objects will be apparent in view of the following description which is made in reference to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the instant block holder;

FIGURE 2 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the bracket with the adapter and the standard removed;

FIGURE 4 is a view in cross section taken along the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, there is shown a canvas block 12 on which a wig is adapted to be positioned for styling. The block holder is generally designated by the numeral 16 and is adapted to be mounted on the edge of a table 14. It will be seen on reference to FIGURE 2 that the block holder includes a clamping device composed of a base 17 and a standard 18 which are interconnected by an adapter 20. The adapter 20 may be traveled on a stud 22 by threadable movement for the purpose of captivating a ball 24 on the lower end of the standard in a socket 26 and in tight frictional engagement with a friction pad of rubbery material 28 disposed in the socket. The upper end 30 of the standard 18 is tapered so as to be receivable within a bore 32 in the neck portion of the canvas head or block 12. Sleeve type jacketing means are provided for the standard comprising an inverted cup 34 to nest over and dwell on the tapered end 30. In the preferred embodiment seen in FIGURE 4 the tapered end 30 is propeller shaped in cross section defining crests and troughs 36 and 38, respectively, and by reason of this construction the head block when forcibly pressed over the jacketed standard causes the crests 36 to deform the sleeve or cup 34 slightly so as to firmly, frictionally and snugly maintain engaging relation with the walls of the bore 32 of the head block the crests causing the periphery of the sup 34 to deform slightly and conform to any irregularities of the bore wall.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be seen that, when the adapter is tightened on the stud, the finger grips 46 providing for a ready application of pressure, the ball will compress the sponge or rubbery pad 28 and, thereafter, resist any tilting movement of the standard 18 out of any preselected attitude, vis-a-vis the clamp until such time as the adapter 20 is again threadably moved axially to relax the friction pad. On threaded relaxation of sufficient axial movement so that the axially directed pressure of the pad, as transmitted through the ball, is relaxed the adjustment of the attitude of the standard and carried head block may take place. To accommodate the foregoing, the radius of curvature of the socket 26 in the terminal end of the stud 22 is slightly larger than the radius of curvature of the ball end 24 of the standard 18 and, that the difference in length of the said radii of curvature is slightly less than the thickness of the friction pad 28, so that the friction pad will be compressed slightly when the adapter 20 is tightened thereover. Referring now to the base 17, it 'will be seen that it comprises a floor 50, a roof 52, and an upstanding web or wall 54 defining an open-sided, clamp-type bracket adapted to fit over the margin of a table, as indicated in FIGURE 1. The base 17 is formed over a metallic, rigid foundation bracket 56 which is preferably of steel material and which bracket is coated by a plastic layer 58 completely covering the exterior surface. Also, in the preferred embodiment a hole 60 is provided in the roof 52 in coaxial alignment with the center line of the stud and the plastic material 'which coats the reinforcement bracket 56 is allowed to flow through to effect securement of the plastic layer by keying the same through the hole. Further, in coaxial alignment with the aforesaid hole and stud, a hole is provided through the fioor 50. This latter hole is designated by the numeral 62 and is internally threaded to provide for threaded movement of the keeper 64, which is provided with a head 66, to bear against the underside 68 of a table as the roof of the base clamps tightly against the top surface 70 of the marginal edge of the table, see FIGURE 1. In the preferred embodiment the underside 72 of the roof, which dwells on the surface 70 of the table, is roughened in order to increase the frictional forces which are acting when the base is securely clamped to the margin of the table.

It will be apparent that without the underlying reinforcement bracket member, the deficiencies of a base of plastic material are avoided. For instance, if the bracket were of molded plastic material entirely, on removal of the bracket from the mold, the plastic would tend to draw together with the terminal ends of the roof and the floor converging toward one another. Also, the reinforcing material interiorly disposed in the bracket resists forces of deformation while the plastic coating provides a protective exterior surface for positioning the bracket in clamping relation on furniture without the danger of marring the same. Further, when applied to a table as indicated in FIGURE 1, if there were not steel reinforcement within the base, the bracket would tend to collapse and separate, i.e., open up as the forces of deformation are applied in the clamping action of the roof and the head of the screw as it travels upwardly from the floor.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. A improved block holder for an artificial head having a tapered mounting bore, said holder including:

a clamp base of open-sided, rigid bracket form including a roof, fioor, a connecting side wall and of a metal construction with a plastic jacket thereover;

an upstanding, exteriorly threaded stud supported on the roof and having a socket in the terminal end and of a common radius of curvature, and a hole in the floor of the clamp base coaxial with said stud;

a keeper means in the hole of the floor threadably movable in an axial direction between the floor and roof;

a friction pad in said socket of a uniform thickness;

an upstanding standard having a tapered end and a spherically shaped lower end, the radius of curvature of said lower end being slightly less than that of said radius of curvature of said socket and such that the radius of curvature of the ball plus the thickness of said friction pad is slightly more than the radius of curvature of said socket; and

an adapter means including an annular ring internally threaded for threaded travel on the exterior threads of the studs and including a socket recess adapted to conform to the exterior surface of the ball on threaded movement of the adapter axially towards said roof on said stud to draw said ball into the socket and to compress said friction pad;

the upper end of said standard having a tapered portion as seen in elevation sized to fit said bore whereby adjustment may be made of the attitude of the head by loosening the adapter, adjusting the standard and tightening the ball end of the standard against the pad in the socket by threaded movement of the adapter.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the upper end of said tapered portion, as seen in plan, is provided with peripheral crests and troughs, all of said crests being at a common distance from the axis of the tapered portion such that a line connecting said crests is generally circular as seen in plan and by reason of the taper is sized to be received in the bore of a block in close conforming relation to the side walls of the bore.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein a cap of deformable material is provided on the tapered end to dwell on said end and to be deformed by said crests when in snug, tight-fitting relation in the bore to hold said standard tightly to said head.

4. The improved device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamp base includes a hole in said roof and said stud are of plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,934,223 11/1933 Booth.

2,260,996 10/1941 Kruczek 28712 2,328,135 8/1943 Gack 28787 2,332,504 10/1943 Brenner 248-l81 2,670,228 2/1954 Pagliuso 28787 2,997,264 8/1961 Zelenitz 24818l X 3,198,408 8/1965 Benner 22366 3,288,415 11/1966 Eickhoff 248-226 CHANCELLOR HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

J. FRANKLIN FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

